Using the new, 5th Edition of Model Child Care Health Policies, develop customized health and safety policies for your center or home-based program. Complete self-assessment questions and review selected policies. Submit one policy of your choice to ECELS for review. PA child care practitioners may submit completed work for review for credit by scanning the pages and attaching them to an e-mail, sending them by fax or by surface mail to ECELS. Be sure to follow the instructions in the “Important Reminders” box next to the list of self-learning modules on this webpage. K7-C3-76 or K8-C3-92. 6/2017

In partnership with the national American Academy of Pediatrics, Healthy Child Care America program, ECELS presented a webinar with a simultaneous audio conference, “Using Model Child Care Health Policies to Improve Quality” on February 12, 2014. This event was for early education and child care teachers/caregivers, health professionals, child care health consultants, child care health advocates, technical assistance consultants & child care agency/organization staff members. Handouts are posted below to download. They include the PowerPoint slides, the evaluation form to submit for CME/CEU, PA Key and Act 48 credit, a cross-walk of the Model Child Care Health Policies, 5th edition with the high priority national health and safety standards in Stepping Stones 3rd edition, and a list of Environmental Rating Scale items with health and safety content. The recording of this audio conference and webinar is with the archived webinars on the Healthy Child Care America website.

In partnership with the national American Academy of Pediatrics, Healthy Child Care America program, ECELS presented a webinar with a simultaneous audio conference, “Using Model Child Care Health Policies to Improve Quality” on February 12, 2014. This event was for early education and child care teachers/caregivers, health professionals, child care health consultants, child care health advocates, technical assistance consultants & child care agency/organization staff members. Handouts are posted below to download. They include the PowerPoint slides, the evaluation form that Pennsylvania users may submit for PA Key and Act 48 credit, a cross-walk of the Model Child Care Health Policies, 5th edition with the high priority national health and safety standards in Stepping Stones 3rd edition, and a list of Environmental Rating Scale items with health and safety content. The recording of this webinar is with the archived webinars on the Healthy Child Care America website.

The National Center on Health offers visually attractive, simply stated resources for infant, toddler and preschool care. Anyone can down-load the electronic copies from the Internet. Head Start programs can order hard copy from the National Center at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. These materials have excellent content for teachers/caregivers to use in their programs and to share with families:

Take a look at the National Center’s Health Tips (Fact Sheets) for Families* (and teachers): Download an individual one page fact sheets when you need a handout on one of the topics or download the complete series in English [PDF, 1.2MB] and Spanish (español) [PDF, 309KB]* The following topic are available as handouts:

Active Play includes tips to help infants, toddlers and preschoolers develop positive active play behaviors.

Health Literacy provides information about how to understand and use health information that doctors and other health professionals give.

In February 2013, the USDA’s Team Nutrition released a new Provider Handbook. The USDA Team Nutrition website has the handbook available online. You can use the great resources in the handbook online now. Hard copy print copies are available free of charge for online ordering in the summer of 2013. The handbook is for users of the Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) and anyone else involved with a child care program.

This workshop addresses national and state initiatives to reduce obesity among children in group care. It includes nutritional needs of infants, toddlers, preschool and school age children. Participants learn how to adjust portion sizes, and evaluate food and nutrition labeling. The discussion includes comparing the standards for physical activity and limitation of sedentary activities with current practices. The participants learn how to use research about how children acquire attitudes about food and physical activity. They identify nutrition education opportunities at mealtimes, snacks, holidays and birthdays.

The National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care has separately published the nutrition, physcial activity and screen time standards from Caring for Our Children, third edition, 2011. View these obesity prevention standards on the website of the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care.

Obesity is epidemic in the United States. Preventing obesity starts in early childhood. Learning life skills for physical activity and nutrition are key. ECELS has an online self-learning module to teach users to evaluate their program’s physical activity and nutrition practices and polices for 3 to 5 year old children. The module includes a self-assessment and development of an action plan for program improvement as well as many other resources.

Early education and child care professionals should include preventive practices in the curriculum. In addition, early educators have many opportunities to notice possible areas of decay on children’s teeth. Coupling prevention and early recognition of possible trouble with referral to an oral health professional can save significant suffering. Early decay looks like dull white bands on the smooth surface of the tooth at the gum line. It is caused by bacterial activity in the mouth. It is a form of infectious disease. Early decay may be reversible with fluoride treatment and removal of plaque that builds up on the teeth. If this early decay is not treated, it becomes yellow, brown or black spots. These spots are places where decay destroyed the tooth enamel. If you see chalky white spots or discoloration on a child's teeth, urge the child's family to take the child to a dentist as soon as possible.

The information and resources provided through this Web site are for educational purposes only. ECELS-Healthy Child Care Pennsylvania is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. If you have health-related questions you should consult a health care professional.